The present exemplary embodiment relates to a hand held adhesive tape dispenser. It finds particular application in conjunction with packaging style tapes and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it is to be appreciated that the present exemplary embodiment is also amenable to other similar applications.
Adhesive tape is used for many purposes by consumers and businesses. One type of adhesive tape is sometimes called packaging tape. Packaging tape is frequently sold as rolls of tape which can be a fraction of an inch to several inches wide. It comes in various lengths from a few yards to 100 yards and beyond. The tape normally consists of a plastic film with an adhesive on one side. The adhesive tape is wound upon a cylindrical core, which is often made from either a cardboard or a plastic material. Some tapes include filaments to reinforce the tape. “Packaging tape” is used herein to mean adhesive tape having a plastic film of substantially uniform width with adhesive on one side rolled in many turns upon a core.
Consumers and businesses often use packaging tape to seal boxes. A length of the tape is removed from the roll and applied to the flaps of the box to close the box. Packaging tapes are often applied using a dispenser. Rolls of packaging tape are often sold on a dispenser. To be attractive to consumers, a dispenser for packaging tape should be easy to use, apply tape to a substrate reliably, cut tape from the roll of tape after application of tape, and be inexpensive. Reusability of a tape dispenser is also a positive attribute.
Dispenser shortcomings can include difficulty in installing a replacement roll of tape and a dispenser that does not adequately keep a free end of the tape accessible for application to a substrate. The present disclosure describes a dispenser that overcomes these shortcomings.